Rise from the Ashes
by CelestialFeathers999
Summary: To her teachers, she was a rebellious student and to her friends, she was a bit of an airhead. Despite being next in line to the throne, Princess Miku was naïve and carefree. Luka was a mere servant, with no memories of her past. Their meeting had been nothing more than chance, yet it entwined their fates tightly together. Beyond the castle's sheltered walls, a dark path lay ahead.
1. Chapter 1

" _In the beginning, there existed the heavenly kingdom, Celtairne. With the passage of time, foolish humans could not withstand the divine blessings of the gods and caused dissent amongst themselves, fracturing the holy Paradise. The celestial beings that once watched over the land vanished and the kingdom faded into oblivion, its lesser fragments claimed by those who identified as kings. Slowly, the ancient arts were washed away from frail mortal memory by the tides of time and inhabitants of the once-peaceful lands settled for a heathen existence. Still, she grows restless, awaiting the day when Retribution is delivered…"_

* * *

Miku felt another yawn forming in the back of her throat as Sir Bruno droned on. She barely stifled this one as the brown haired man gave her a stern look while he lectured. History was her least favourite subject and it didn't help that she already hated academics with a passion. As it was, she could barely remember the names of all the current kingdoms, so trying to reproduce entire timelines of long-dead empires was most definitely impossible. Most of all, she couldn't see the point of this hellish torture. Their history books were too incomplete for her to gain anything of value, although her teacher would never admit it. Miku wished she was in one of her combat training sessions right now. She could spar with Aria and then maybe go down to the stables and ride that friendly mare or…

"Your highness, I asked you a question."

"Huh…?" _Question?_ She hadn't heard a word of what he'd said in the last five minutes and with the speed at which the man spoke…that was probably an entire chapter of information that she'd missed.

Bruno sighed and set his jaw in annoyance. Miku noticed his fist tightening around the decorative blade that he carried, as if he wanted to unsheathe it and hack everything to pieces. The teal haired princess gave her tutor a sheepish grin and shrunk back in her seat. The Royal Historian adjusted his cravat and repeated his earlier question in a dangerously strained tone.

"The name of the First Kingdom, princess, what was it?"

"C…Celtairne?" Miku blurted out the first word that came to mind. She wasn't even really sure that it was a kingdom but it was the only thing she remembered from the past few lessons.

"Incorrect," Bruno scowled and shook his head, "Celtairne is the name of the Blessed Lands, otherwise known as the Lost Paradise. Most believe it to be a myth. The First Kingdom is the oldest kingdom in recorded history. Its foundation is estimated to be almost one thousand years ago when- Princess!"

"Yes! Uhh not Celtairne! The First Kingdom…uhh what was it called again?"

Miku jumped guiltily in her seat as Bruno snatched away the quill she had been doodling with.

"How many times do I have to tell you that these books are _artifacts_ , priceless treasures found only in the Royal Libraries! This is desecration!"

"S-sorry," The teal-haired girl mumbled and shifted in her seat. Bruno's patience was wearing thin, meaning it was time to find an escape route. She was quite perceptive to the man's moods and limits by now, seeing as she hadn't failed to infuriate him in every lesson for the past five years he'd been teaching her. Miku put on her best innocent face and forced what she hoped was a melancholy expression, "I…I can't be in my right mind to do such a _terrible_ thing! Maybe if you'll excuse me for today-"

"No." Bruno didn't even spare her a second glance as he continued inspecting the tome that the teal haired girl had been scrawling on.

"Just a washroom break!"

"You tried this last time, your highness. Your washroom break lasted an entire week."

"I'll be quick this time?" Miku winced as her teacher's tone grew increasingly displeased.

"No, we're going to finish the lesson today. It's already been delayed for weeks because of your truancy. I refuse to-"

"Lady things!" Miku half yelled.

"What?"

"You know! My uhh monthly visits…you _did_ have basic medic training, yes?"

An awkward silence passed between them and Bruno's face began to darken into an ugly shade of purple. Miku could feel herself beginning to turn red. She wished she didn't pick the most embarrassing fake reason but if she let their argument last any longer she was risking an entire day of having strange names and dates drilled into her eardrums.

They must've stared at each other for a full minute before Bruno relented and hissed a quiet "You may go" at her and began gathering his belongings. Miku was out of the room before he could assign her any extra readings for homework.

The corridors of the Inner East Wing were bright, with sunlight spilling through the numerous windows to create soft dappled patterns on the cobblestone floors. Miku hummed as she skipped along, feeling light as a feather upon her successful escape from the stuffy lecture room. Now that she had time to herself, she couldn't quite decide what to do.

Idly, she examined the wall decorations as she moved along. It was a great day to go outside and train, or she could continue exploring the castle as she'd been doing ever since she could remember. By now, she probably knew the place better than anyone, even the Royal Guards that Aria was so proud of and they were _trained_ to be familiar with the layout of everything. Miku grinned to herself. The world seemed much more agreeable when she wasn't getting useless information crammed into her skull.

Out of the corner of her eye, a colourful tapestry caught her eye. The intricately woven fabrics depicted an armored knight raising his sword against a massive dragon that took up almost the entire picture. The inscription underneath read: _Aurelius the IVth – Slaying of Black Tornado_. Enamoured, Miku ran her hand along the black threads that formed the glossy scales of the dragon. Although only the best artists in Viridace had the honour of patronage by the Crown, this tapestry was clearly exceptional, even among the elite. The amount of detail was unbelievable and the cloth almost seemed to come alive under scrutiny.

As she stroked the dragon's roaring head once more, Miku noticed a suspicious protrusion under the fabric. Checking the hallway for any wayward servants, she applied pressure to the spot once the coast was clear. The rough sound of stone grating against stone greeted her and the teal-haired girl ducked into the newly uncovered passage behind the tapestry. The hidden door slid shut behind her and Miku found herself standing in pitch darkness.

Excitement built in the teal haired girl's chest as she fished out a small metal cylinder from her pocket. It had been much too long since she'd last discovered a secret tunnel. With two gentle taps of her finger, glowing yellow orbs flew out of the tip of the cylinder and floated steadily at her sides, illuminating the area around her. Miku smiled and began making her way forward.

"Thanks." She whispered to the object, which seemed to hum in response.

When she had first received the thing, she had been quite disappointed by its diminutive appearance.

" _It's made from the finest material and arcane spells from Alteria, princess. It'll light your way under any condition and keep you warm. You can't find many like this Lumioscone…"_

The man who had presented the little cylinder to her for her thirteenth birthday had explained desperately, trying to lift the slight frown she had been wearing. Not wanting to cause any trouble for the merchant, she had taken it quickly, not expecting much use from her gift. It wasn't until she found her first tunnel before she realized that the thing was anything but ordinary.

The Lumioscone never seemed to run out of energy and it always lit up the area with the same intensity, no matter the environment. Despite its metal casing, it always emanated a comforting warmth and holding it was like having a friend hold your hand. Although she liked to call it 'the light stick' rather than 'Lumioscone', it was definitely among her most prized possessions.

The small stick buzzed a little in her hands and the orbs of light danced around her excitedly, as if responding to her thoughts. Miku laughed and swatted at her playful companions.

"Calm down you guys. We're almost there."

Sure enough, the ground was sloping up after what seemed like an eternity in the narrow passage. Miku was burning with curiosity by now. The only other tunnel that rivalled this one in length had led outside the castle grounds entirely. She wondered where she could end up. There weren't many new places left to explore.

As she approached the end, she could make out slivers of light filtering through little cracks in the exit. The tunnel must be fairly old for its door to have fallen to such a state of disrepair. As she touched the door, the two little orbs of light fizzed and returned to the Lumioscone. The area was just bright enough for her to not need any extra lighting.

Miku ran her hands along the weathered stone, looking for a switch. Ten minutes later, her search remained fruitless. Cursing, the teal haired princess decided that brute force was the way to go and pushed against the door with her all her strength. The contraption shifted a little under her weight. With renewed hope, Miku backed up a few paces and gave herself a running start. She closed her eyes and braced herself at the moment of impact…except the resistance she expected never came. Her shoving seemed to have loosened the door and the moment she touched the exit, the stone slab swung open easily.

Unceremoniously, Miku tumbled out of the tunnel. The exit was elevated almost half a metre which, unfortunately for her, meant a painful reunion with the ground. Leaves flew in a frenzy around her and the teal haired girl sneezed as dust kicked up and intruded her nostrils.

Groaning, she pushed herself up from the dirt and into a sitting position. Her knees were bruised for sure and her ribs felt like they'd been broken. Miku looked back at the place she'd exploded from. A small gargoyle carving poked out from behind a curtain of lush, green ivy. If she hadn't just come out of the tunnel, she would've never suspected that it was there. Taking a deep breath, the princess began to examine the courtyard she currently sat in.

"You're going to have to clean this up, you know."

"Arghh?!"

Miku yelped in surprise as she turned to find angry blue eyes scorching her. She scrambled backwards using her palms, crawling in a manner that was far below her status. A girl with long pink hair tied in a ponytail was leaning over her with a broomstick. Judging from her clothes, she was probably one of the many servants that the castle housed. The teal haired princess definitely had more than enough authority to tell her off, yet somehow, Miku was finding her more intimidating than even Bruno.

"I'm serious. Don't think you can get away with making a mess here just because you're some noble. It takes forever to clean this up."

 _Noble? I suppose I don't come here often so it makes sense that she doesn't recognize me…_

"Sorry! I'll fix it right away!" Miku scrambled up and shook off the remnants of the leaf pile she had destroyed. The pink haired girl looked surprised as the broomstick was snatched from her hands.

A few sweeps into it, the princess understood the other girl's cause for anger. The courtyard contained many wind currents and only a few spots were suitable for leaf piles; one wrong move meant starting over again. Miku sighed and looked over at her companion. The pink haired girl was sitting in the shade, propped against a tree, looking amused as she watched the princess struggle with the menial task. The tealette huffed a little at the smug expression and went back to sweeping with more force than necessary. Miku wondered why she was even bothering to do this. Although it was her fault for messing up the girl's work, she was still the princess. She should be more selfish and exercise her powers and-

 _Why is she looking at me again?!_

Miku felt her heart jump a little as she caught the pink haired girl smiling at her, a genuine, non-mocking sort this time; although she quickly turned away as soon as she saw that the princess had noticed. The tealette's face grew hot. That girl was actually kind of pretty when she wasn't so angry, she thought as she kept sweeping.

A gust of wind suddenly kicked up and Miku found herself chasing after her quickly scattering pile. Anger boiled in her chest and the tealette was ready to murder.

"Here, I'll do the rest," A cool hand gently unclasped Miku's fingers, saving the broomstick from its imminent fate of being snapped in half like the tealette had intended to do.

"Huh?" The princess felt her anger dissipate in mere seconds. Maybe it was her sudden appearance or how she treated Miku more like an equal than a princess, but something about this girl was so distracting.

"I suppose I was too harsh on you earlier, although, you should see why now."

The pinkette gave her a friendly little smile and Miku felt like she was ready to sweep an entire castle's worth of leaves.

"No, it was my fault. I shouldn't have uhh…materialized out of a wall like that. I'm Miku by the way. What's your name?"

"Luka."

They didn't speak much more as the pinkette worked. Miku merely stood awkwardly at the side and watched as the leaves were methodically gathered up. Now that she wasn't too busy avoiding Luka's wrath or fighting nature, the princess realized she had many questions about the pink haired girl.

For someone who looked her age, or maybe even younger, it was strange for her to be working in what Miku was sure was one of the castle's outer courtyards. These areas had fewer servants and more guards. Usually, only maids who had offended someone were sent to the outer walls as punishment, since work was a lot more physical and lodgings were in less than pristine conditions. It was strange to see such a young face in a place filled with women well past their prime. The tealette wondered why Luka was sent here and where she had been before that. There weren't many people her age and Miku was sure she'd have remembered if she'd seen the pink haired girl elsewhere before.

As the last leaf was dealt with, Luka threw down the broom with a sigh and headed over to the tree again and collapsed against the trunk. Miku followed close behind and sat down beside her pink haired companion.

"Tired?" Eyeing the beads of sweat that had accumulated on Luka's forehead, the tealette offered her handkerchief. Luka gave her a suspicious look but accepted the cloth with a grateful nod.

"Thanks. I really shouldn't be…seeing as I do this every day. I guess I shouldn't be using your stuff either but you're not like most nobles around here."

"Oh? What am I like?" Miku cocked her head curiously. She could feel her heart thumping loudly in her chest. The princess scolded herself in her mind for being so anxious. It was just a conversation and she wasn't one to be shy. _Stupid nerves._

"You seem…actually nice? And sort of clumsy."

"I'm not! The wall did it, I swear!"

Luka laughed a little at her protest and shook her head.

"I'm still not sure where you came from but I think I forgive you for messing up an entire morning's work. I mean, most of you fancily dressed people would have just told me off…or maybe punished me…"

The pink haired girl trailed off as if pondering her earlier actions. Miku pouted _._

 _Stupid wall, messing up my first impressions…wait…_

Her earlier questions came back to her.

"How long have you been here?"

Luka shrugged, "As long as I can remember."

"What? No way…most people born here aren't sent to this place."

"I wasn't born here but…I don't know…" the pinkette frowned and murmured softly, "I don't remember anything before this. That's part of why they sent me to work here, I think. Can't trust an amnesiac, after all."

"O-oh…" Miku felt a sudden pang of sympathy for the girl. It must be hard to work such a strenuous job when she didn't even know who she was.

"I've been here for almost ten years? I'm not sure."

"..I don't suppose you were a child when you came?" The tealette felt faint. She hadn't expected Luka to have been working in such a place for so long.

"No…I know I don't look it but I haven't grown since I got here. So I must've been at least in my teens when I arrived."

"Wow that makes you…so much older than me!"

"Thanks."

"I didn't mean it like that!" _That glare again…_ Miku shivered at the cold blue gaze and mentally slapped herself for being so insensitive. The pink haired girl (woman?) was probably feeling bad enough about not knowing her age, without the tealette's obvious comments.

"No…it's fine," Luka sighed and her gaze softened, "I just wish I knew more than life inside these walls. Every day is so boring here. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be a bird and fly away." She paused and took a deep breath, "I don't know why I'm telling you this…I-I have to go."

As if only just realizing that the conversation had become somewhat personal, Luka stood up quickly, a soft rosy colour warming her cheeks. A twinge of disappointment filled the tealette as she also got to her feet. She had wanted to know more about Luka. An idea occurred to her and she smiled at the girl.

"I guess I shouldn't keep you from your other duties."

Luka returned her smile sadly and held out the handkerchief, "I'd wash this for you but who knows if we'll ever see each other again…"

"No, you should keep it. Think of it as a meeting gift from me."

Before Luka could say anything in protest, Miku gave her one last grin and began walking towards the corridor that led inwards. She heard the pinkette call out a hurried "thank you" and her heart leapt with excitement. Footsteps quickening, she quickly made her way back towards her quarters.

 _Don't worry, Luka. Your life won't continue to be boring…because I'll make sure we meet again_.

* * *

 **A/N:**

So I've been thinking about/planning this fic for a long time. It'll still be Negitoro but I want to try focusing on plot and using more characters in this one. I've always wanted to write a fantasy fic so we'll see where this goes. Current estimate for word count is around 100-200k (I have two more chapters written but I want to try updating at more regular intervals so I won't release them yet :'3)

I have no idea if anyone would enjoy fantasy fics that don't have my usual romance heavy shenanigans so please feel free to leave your opinions/critiques in the reviews :D

And finally: Happy 8th to my bby~


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 _Born from the contemptuous sins of humankind, she thrives in darkest parts of humanity. There is no question to her coming, only a matter of when._

* * *

The sounds of rain filled the royal study as dark clouds gathered and hid away the warm afternoon sun. A dull light reflected off the shiny mahogany desk as an extravagantly dressed man with graying teal hair tapped a finger against its edge while he sat. In front of him, an equally well-dressed man with long purple hair was speaking animatedly.

"My lord, I _insist_. I understand that General Iroha holds a precarious position but you must assert your power. She has too much of the army's trust and I do not question her loyalty but given time this could-"

"I appreciate your concern, Kamui," The seated man appeared tired as he slicked a hand through his hair and adjusted his cravat, "And I understand your angle. But you mustn't be too forceful with these things. Iroha has served the country well since before the Alterian Insurgence and her efforts after have not quite been forgotten by the people yet. Such an obvious transfer of power won't go unnoticed by the court and in case it slipped your mind, many are still unsatisfied with your current position."

"But my king, hesitating will only-"

"I said no, Kamui!" The king snapped at his high advisor for the first time in months, "You may be allowed to speak on my behalf but do not forget your place. Your suggestion is heard and I forbid you from taking any action. This discussion is closed."

"I…I understand. I would never challenge your authority, my king." Kamui gritted his teeth and swallowed the defeat. He knew was treading a thin line with the sovereign. King Shigure was rarely angry with him, partly due to the man's rather meek temperament and partly due to the silver tongue Kamui took pride in perfecting over the years. The High Advisor had his liege wrapped around his finger and the royal never even realized it. Of course, that was the easy part of the plan. If he wanted a flawless execution, it would not do to lose the king's favour.

"About this year's projected harvests, do you have the reports I requested?"

"Yes, my lord. I-"

"Father!"

The wooden doors to the study burst open, interrupting Kamui's sentence, much to the purple haired man's frustration. A girl with teal hair entered and moved to kneel in front of the king with lighthearted footsteps, impervious to the heavy atmosphere that had previously settled in the room.

"Princess Miku, how many times do you need to be reminded to knock before you…" The king waved away his advisor's reprimand and gave his daughter a nod.

"You may stand."

The teal haired princess bounced up and stuck her tongue out at Kamui, who began massaging his temples aggressively at the childish gesture. The king looked his daughter from head to foot once and pursed his lips in disapproval.

"What have I told you about wearing men's clothing? You are a princess, not some common nobleman's child. Learn to dress like it."

"But I was training with Aria, father!" The teal haired girl pouted in protest. All of the dresses she had been forced into on occasion were frilly and uncomfortable. They were tight, despite being tailored to be her size and she couldn't run or ride very well. Miku much preferred the freedom that a simple dress shirt, vest and breeches offered her, although her father never seemed to understand. "And never mind that. I have a favour to ask of you…just a quick one."

The king raised an eyebrow and sighed. Knowing the stubborn nature of his daughter, refusal to hear her out would only lead to more interrupted meetings in the future.

"Make it quick then. Kamui and I still have important matters to discuss."

"Well…if I may…I wish to request a lady-in-waiting."

The king narrowed his eyes but it was Kamui who spoke up first, voice full of skepticism.

"Pardon my inquiry, princess but if I remember correctly, you've driven away every single girl of noble lineage your father meticulously handpicked. They were all…what were your words? Oh yes, "too stuck up" to attend you. Now of all times, you wish to request a lady-in-waiting? What, may I ask, brought about this change of heart?"

Miku shot the advisor a glare before looking her father in the face and answering truthfully.

"I don't intend to have someone of noble lineage fill the position, father. They watch me closely and gossip when I'm not around. I simply want someone to join me in my lessons and talk to me when I'm bored, someone I can trust."

"Ah yes, your lessons…Sir Bruno has repeatedly complained to me about your negligence of your studies," the teal haired man's face darkened with disappointment, "Do you believe that having someone alongside you will make you better focused in class?"

"Y-yes father," Miku winced at the thought of Bruno relaying every little detail of her disobedience to the king, "If you grant me this request, then I promise to try harder in my classes."

"Very well then. I hold you to your promise. I'll have Kamui arrange som-"

"Wait father! I already have someone in mind, a servant from the castle. Her name is-"

"Insolence!" The king spat in anger at the interruption. His daughter had never been one to closely observe etiquette but usually she had enough common sense to not step so far out of line. He took a deep breath and gave a dismissive wave in annoyance. "Enough of this. Have it your way and talk to the Chamberlain. Tell him that whomever you've chosen will be given the title of lady and respected as such, on the king's orders. Now leave me be."

"Yes father. Thank you, father."

Miku began to bow in the way a male vassal would until she caught the glint in her father's eye. She curtsied instead, making the king sigh and shake his head as he began reading a parchment. Her mission accomplished, Miku darted out of the room, but not before giving Kamui a victorious smirk as she left to find the Royal Chamberlain.

* * *

Kamui made his way down the corridor with heavy footsteps. He wanted to kick something badly to relieve the anger that smoldered in his chest. The meeting with the king went terrible and to have that foolish princess mock him on top of it. He truly pitied the next to cross his path, be it object or servant.

As he passed the last courtyard before the area that lead to his quarters, he heard two voices speaking loudly.

"My lady _please_ , I cannot find someone based on nothing but a name! There are hundreds of servants in this castle and I know next to nothing about this girl."

Kamui scoffed. He had forgotten that the Chamberlain lived so close to him. It was about time that troublesome princess bothered someone else. The higher voice piped up again.

"You know enough! I've told you! Her name is Luka. She has pink hair and a handkerchief of mine. The cloth has the royal insignia embroidered on it. I doubt there will be many female servants who fit that description. Just do as you're told."

The advisor stiffened and waited until the teal haired girl stormed away to continue on his journey back to his chambers with a quickened pace. His previous frustration was quickly turning into an irrepressible excitement.

The information he'd just heard, the description of that girl…there could be no mistake. It was quite unbelievable that what they'd been searching for had been under their nose this entire time. The purple haired man chuckled darkly. That stupid royal was good for something after all.

Slamming the wooden door of his chamber behind him, Kamui hurried to place a hand on the cool surface of the mirror that hung over his fireplace like some sort of centerpiece. The mirror itself was quite a strange object. Unlike anything else made in the castle, it had an ancient and otherworldly quality to it. The frame was intricately carved out of a deep crimson coloured wood, with milky white pearls embellishing certain dips and curves in the design. The smooth surface of the ornament was not reflective at all. Crafted from Nyx's Obsidian, the small, oval object seemed to absorb all light around it, rather than reflect.

Unfazed by the ominous aura around the object, the purple haired man closed his eyes and concentrated on the place where his hand touched the mirror. Slowly, the surface began to turn translucent and glow. Kamui waited until the dark red frame contained nothing but a screen of light, to whisper his findings.

"Your holiness, the one you've been looking for is within grasp. It is no longer necessary for Lily to continue her search in Caelum. My pleas and prayers be with you, great one. The Oracles are ever in your service."

As the surface's glow receded, Kamui began to sneer, his eyes as dark as the mirror itself. He had been waiting far too long for his plans to be put into motion. This was only the beginning.

* * *

The grating screech of metal against metal resounded within the training clearing as two girls charged repeatedly at each other with unsharpened practice blades. They appeared evenly matched, with the white haired girl on the defensive as her teal haired opponent advanced steadily with elegant blows.

With a particularly forceful parry, the white haired girl took the opportunity to leap back and put a fair distance between them. Centering herself, the girl took an offensive stance.

Sensing a change in her sparring partner, Miku grinned, "finally going to stop taking it easy, I see."

"Arrogance is your biggest vice princess." Aria returned her friend's gaze confidently and started forward.

Swinging her sword in a full powered overhead strike, she waited for Miku to be stunned by the impact to feign a weakness in her right. The princess didn't hesitate to fall for the trap and deflected Aria's upward slash quickly, lunging forward in an immediate follow-up attack. Easily sidestepping the move she had been anticipating, the white haired girl struck downwards with the hilt of her blade.

The air was knocked out of Miku's lungs from the intense impact in the center of her back and she stumbled into the ground, coughing.

"Aria three, Miku zero," The white haired girl chirped happily and offered a hand to the princess, who was currently covered in dirt and writhing on the ground.

"I can't believe it…" Miku muttered and let Aria help her up, "I haven't lost _this_ badly since our first time sparring…"

Leaning their practice swords against the log at the edge of the clearing, the two sat down for a quick break. Aria appeared amused at the sight of her moping friend as she took a swig from the flask of water they'd brought.

"You were so distracted today. Not much of a challenge."

Miku groaned and swiped the container from her friend to rehydrate herself.

"I know, I know. No need to rub it in."

"Oh come on Miku, tell me what's wrong," Aria slung her arm casually over the tealette's shoulder, "the princess I know is never worried about anything. Actually, sometimes, I doubt she even thinks much at al-oww."

After giving the white haired girl a well-deserved punch in the shoulder, the princess decided that she might as well tell the truth.

"It's nothing really. Just that…I'm getting a lady-in-waiting tomorrow."

"Huh…that's news to me. I thought his majesty had given up on finding someone willing to put up with you a long time ago?"

"No…I requested this one…at the cost of going to all my lessons."

Aria gave the tealette a strange look and chuckled, "Now why would you do that to yourself…I saw Bruno the other day when I was making rounds with the squad. He did _not_ look happy. I figured it might have something to do with you. That man might not know how to use his sword but I'd definitely steer clear of him when he's in such a mood."

"Don't even remind me," Miku buried her head in her arms and sniffed, "It's just that…I met this girl in the outer courtyards when I was um…taking a break…from my lessons. I wanted to help her and this was the only way I could think of. But now that you mention Bruno…"

"I'm going to miss you, my friend," Aria mourned in mock sympathy, "Seriously though, there are hundreds of servant girls in this castle who could use your help. Why go so far for this one?"

"I…I don't know," Miku felt a little confused herself as she reflected on her actions. Maybe it was because she hadn't ever met an amnesiac before and found Luka's situation to be interesting? But she also genuinely wanted to help the pink haired girl. She thought harder. "There's just something strange about her and I guess she was the first one other than you and Yukari to treat me like an equal. I want more honest people like that at my side."

It was the truth but even as she said it, Miku knew that wasn't the only reason. Aria shook her head and gave the pensive princess a few pats on the back.

"It still sounds like an extremely flimsy reason. But then again, you've always been one to follow your whims so I guess I'm not surprised. Do tell me how those lessons go."

"It's too late to take back what I said to father about going to those…isn't it? Save me, Aria." The tealette whimpered and dove into her friend's arms. The white haired girl smirked and let the princess stay in the embrace.

"Bruno's going to have so much fun with you."

* * *

Luka sighed and unfolded the intricate handkerchief for the third time that night. She had waited until the entire day's work had been finished to take it out. Even though the teal haired noble she had met had been on her mind this entire time, she didn't want to risk the precious object being taken away. Although her fellow servants were always polite, she wasn't one to be easily deluded into thinking that they bore no ill will. Most of the women around here wouldn't hesitate to step on her to get what they wanted.

The handkerchief Miku had given her was no ordinary object. Red gold threads formed the delicate embroidery of a snarling cat, with a shield and a sword behind it. Although the creature was nowhere near realistic, anyone could tell that it was a Firecat, the symbol of Viridace. Something like this, with the royal insignia on it, was immeasurably valuable and the pinkette knew that it wouldn't be a good idea to be seen with it in public. The servants in this area all lived in poverty, to her knowledge. If they noticed the handkerchief, they would very likely fight each other to try and take it from her. Conflict was best avoided as a servant with no connections and no family.

Still, she couldn't help but stare at the cloth when she was all alone. The five other women she shared the room with were all at dinner. Now was the only time she had to ponder upon the girl she met.

Luka had been trying for the past day to forget their meeting. There was no way they'd see each other again, yet time after time, her thoughts circled back to Miku. The teal haired girl was clearly some noble man's daughter but she had been so friendly and kind and, most of all, naïve. She didn't know why but talking with the tealette was so easy. Her feelings had spilled out in lighthearted conversation.

For the first time in years, Luka had felt some sort of excitement, a disturbance in the mind-numbing routine of her days. She wished she hadn't revealed so much. The self-conscious kind of regret still haunted her. At the same time, she didn't want their meeting to be any different. Either way, it would be a fine memory to cherish.

Her life had been nothing but dull servitude since she'd been brought to the castle. It had been a long time since she'd stopped trying to remember her past. Now, she only wanted to someday make it out of the castle walls and see the world, experience a life beyond cleaning up after spoiled aristocrats and reading others' dagger-filled smiles. Luka smiled bitterly and sighed. It was a good dream to have, but not a very realistic one. With her current salary, she'd likely be trapped sweeping floors until the end of her days.

A loud knocking made the pinkette jump and tuck the handkerchief quickly into her sleeve. Cautiously, she cracked open the door, wondering who it could be. Her roommates usually barged in and no one else ever visited them.

A nervous looking woman, a grouchy man and an expressionless boy were standing on the other side. Luka recognized the woman as the head maid of the entire area and the man, if she remembered correctly, was the Royal Chamberlain. The boy was probably his assistant.

The man gave her a disdainful glare as soon as the door opened and turned to the woman.

"This one is Luka, no mistake?"

"Y-yes sir. The only Luka here." The head maid looked ready to collapse with nerves. Someone of the Chamberlain's status around these parts was unheard of.

"I've been told that you have a handkerchief with the royal insignia on it. Show me." The chamberlain looked at her accusingly.

"Yes…here," Luka pulled out the cloth and waited for the man to announce some sort of punishment for her, despite doing nothing wrong. Years in the castle taught her that justice didn't really exist with these people. To her surprise, the chamberlain only gave the thing a brief glimpse before turning on his heels and commanding gruffly for her to follow.

The pinkette obeyed and stumbled after the man, who was walking away rather quickly. Behind her, she heard the head maid let out a sigh of relief. Her anxiety only grew as she was led further and further from her quarters without an explanation. Finally, as they reached the first inner courtyard, she blurted out the question that had been plaguing her.

"What are you going to do with me?"

The Chamberlain stopped for a moment to give her an exasperated look.

"I hate explaining these things to you lot but basically, you are no longer a servant. On the king's orders, by the request of princess Miku, you will be attending her highness as a lady in waiting. And yes, this means you will be given a status befitting your position. Now we must hurry and get you cleaned up and changed. You will be given new quarters, close to the princess's."

Shaking his head, as if lamenting her stupidity at not knowing, the Chamberlain continued walking quickly. Luka stood still for a few seconds, stunned by what the man had just revealed, before she recovered from the shock and half ran to catch up.

 _Princess…Miku?_

* * *

 **A/N:**

I was going to update first thing in the morning but I've been playing fe h so...:'3

I guess this is going to be a Friday thing now...Tentative weekly update schedule.

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NegitoroShipper: Thank you for the review! It's good to hear that you find things to be clear since there's so much more world building I'm trying to do with this one. And I'm happy you like it ^^

Fffff: ...thank~ it pleases me when people are pleased with my work and hence creates a positive cycle of more gay sushis for everyone- uhh...I mean hi :'3

Psykoakuma: Magic is going to have a much bigger part in this fic hehe. I'm trying to write a normally progressing relationship for once so yay fluff. Lol of course~ More IA, as requested :3c

Azhenet: yep, for once Miku is the fancier (?) one :'D And your English is fine, perfectly understandable~

TremendouslyMental: Thanks for pointing out the grammar stuff :'D You've exposed my (lack of) editing...

Seriously though, don't be afraid to tell me if I've made errors like that (this goes for everyone here :'3)

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I would say more but I'm hungry so see you guys next time XD


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Luka didn't know what she had been expecting when she walked into her first lesson as a lady of the court but it certainly wasn't visage of a tall, brown-haired man clutching a dusty book while singing cheerfully. Awkwardly, she stood there and hoped for the man to notice her and perhaps stop, but to no avail. Bruno continued to belt out his song and even began swaying his hips slightly to the beat. Left with no other option, Luka cleared her throat and knocked on the doorframe for attention.

The brown haired man froze and fumbled with the book in his hands, almost dropping it in the process. He then whipped around angrily with his hand hovering over the embellished sword at his side.

"Who dares…" The tension left him as he realized that it was only a girl who had interrupted. Setting the book down gently on the table, Bruno adjusted his cravat in an attempt to try and regain composure. "Who are you?"

"I…I'm princess Miku's new lady in waiting…I was told to come here for this morning's lesson."

The pinkette felt strange introducing herself as a lady and even weirder calling Miku a princess. Her situation hadn't quite sunk in yet. Last night, after some maids had quickly taken her measurements for new clothes and given her a rundown of the layout of her general quarters, she'd been mostly left alone. She had sat on her bed for a long while, trying to fathom the fact that she now had no duties other than attending to the princess. Although Luka had no handmaidens of her own, this new life already felt like a heavenly luxury. Her bed was softer than anything she'd slept on in the past decade and she had an entire room to herself. Still, the pinkette found it hard to believe that the girl she had met was actually the princess.

"And here I thought princess Miku was early for once."

Luka's attention snapped back to the brunette man, who was currently fixing her with an icy glare. She could tell that he was trying to reinstate some of his dignity but it only made him seem even more ridiculous to her.

"Anyways," the man sauntered over to his desk and began pulling out various texts from his bag, "The king did inform me that I'd be getting another pupil. You'll be seated in the spot closer to the window. Lady…Luka, I presume?"

"Y-yes," the pinkette nodded and moved to her seat. It was still so daunting how everything could change in one single night. "You are…Sir Bruno?"

The man grunted in affirmation and, without giving her a second glace, started dusting off his books.

"I've heard about your previous…occupation so I assume you are not well versed in this subject?"

Bruno's voice dripped with mockery, making it clear that he found the idea of a maid becoming a lady to be absurd. Luka only shrugged and answered truthfully.

"No, sir."

She had been through much worse insults than this, after all. The man smirked and shook his head exasperatedly.

"Well don't expect me to be slowing down for you. There is a lot that princess Miku is required to catch up on and you shall not be a hindrance to her highness."

"Of course…I understand."

Bruno nodded in satisfaction and raked his gaze over her, as if sizing her up.

"Let's see…you should perhaps start by reading-"

"Sir Bruno, I'm here!"

The brown haired man's eyebrows creased together at the sound of a chirpy voice, as the teal haired princess bounded into the room.

Miku's face lit up as she noticed Luka, who was sitting quietly. Immediately, she made a beeline for the pinkette, practically stumbling into her spot in her excitement.

"You're so early Luka! And wow…you…look really pretty in that dress…" The princess mumbled the second half of her sentence and flushed as she realized she had blurted out her thoughts.

"Miku…it really is you…" the pinkette smiled as she felt an unfamiliar joy materialize at the confirmation that it was indeed the girl she had talked with days ago. The last traces of doubt and fear faded and Luka allowed herself to bask in the warmth of their mutual joy for a moment. She really wasn't used to this feeling, the kind of happiness that only companionship brought.

"Of course it is," Miku grinned back at her, cheeks still tinged with red, "Who else could it be."

"I hate to interrupt this lovely reunion but time's wasting away. We still have lots to cover today so eyes over here, girls."

A voice strained with displeasure admonished them. Miku sighed at Bruno's command but complied and pulled her gaze away from her lady in waiting. They'd have plenty of time to talk later.

"Now, we'll start with the formation of Alteria and Viridace…"

Bruno lectured for what seemed like ages to Miku. Significant rulers lived and died. Wars were waged and peace treaties were signed, only to be broken by further turmoil between the countries. None of it was particularly memorable to the tealette and she found herself sneaking glances at Luka more than she probably should have. Contrary to her own inability to focus, the pink haired girl seemed captivated by the lesson, her clear blue eyes following Bruno eagerly. Eventually, Miku spent more time looking at Luka, rather than her textbook. So much for hoping that competition would make her focus better. At least, distracting as she was, the pink haired girl kept her awake.

As morning became noon, their lesson was nearing its end, which meant only one thing: the dreaded question section. Bruno liked to make sure that his long-winded speeches were heard. He usually had a series of questions prepared, to test on the contents of the class. The teal haired princess always made sure to avoid this part of the lesson, since she never paid enough attention to answer, but today was different. She couldn't just leave Luka to fend for herself and she _did_ promise her father that she'd try harder. All Miku could do at this point was grimace and hope for the best.

Bruno gave the princess a little, wry smile, as if sensing her distress. Closing the book he had been quoting from, the historian slowly clasped his hands together.

"Now, for our princess's favourite part of the class…first question: Who was the first king of Alteria?"

"Ah…umm…" Miku opened her mouth and racked her memory for a hint to the answer. The only thing that surfaced was how she had ogled at Luka's hair as the morning sun illuminated it.

Bruno had a triumphant expression on his face, knowing that he had the princess cornered. His enjoyment of the tealette's suffering was palpable. Miku gritted her teeth but the answer continued to elude her.

"…it was Yuuma the Great. Otherwise known as Yuuma the first." A soft voice spoke up beside her. Miku blinked at the realization that Luka had answered.

Bruno's eyes narrowed and he stared at the pinkette for a long while before grumbling a begrudging "correct". While the teal haired princess was grateful that she had been saved, she couldn't help but feel astounded at Luka's ability to retain information. Their teacher merely seemed irked as he continued to fire question after question, all of which the pinkette answered with ease.

When only a few minutes of their lesson were left, Bruno was completely red in the face and breathing hard. The man looked furious and ready to explode. His precious opportunity to ridicule the mischievous princess had been snatched away, just like that and by some servant girl, no less. Slamming his palms onto the desk, he snarled out a final question.

"As we know, Alteria was a country that relied heavily on magic so their army was nearly nonexistent. How did it keep peace and defend itself throughout the ages?"

A long silence followed and for the first time, confusion clouded the pinkette's features. Bruno began to smile, gleeful that he had finally stumped his pupil. His victory was short-lived, however, as Luka answered again.

"…A staff…I think…there was some sort of magic in the staff that created a defensive barrier."

Bruno's expression darkened to a dangerous scowl.

"Wh…how…" He sputtered in outrage, "That wasn't in the lecture! It's not even in most books! How did you-"

"If it's such rare information, then you shouldn't be testing us on it," Miku couldn't deal with her instructor's petty behavior any longer and stood up, pulling Luka with her, "Time's up for this lesson. We're leaving."

Bruno was still speechless as the two girls left him to his frustration. As they walked out into the corridor, Luka still seemed deep in concentration, her brows furrowed as she looked down at the ground. A ways down the hall, Miku realized that they were still holding hands from when she had dragged the pink haired girl out of the room. Luka's hand was cold and clammy in hers and she had been allowing the princess lead her without a word. Instead of letting go, Miku stopped in her tracks and circled around to face her companion. She wrapped her hands around Luka's fingers, trying to warm them with her palms. The pinkette looked startled at the sudden gesture.

"Are you alright?" Miku scrutinized the other girl's face, trying to figure out what was bothering her friend, "If it's Bruno, you really don't need to worry about him. He's always angry at one thing or another. And it was unfair of him to ask you that question."

"No…it's not him, don't worry," Luka gave the princess a weak smile. She looked faint and quite a bit paler than she should be. "I'm just…right when I started thinking about his question…my head started hurting…"

"O-oh…" the tealette's eyes widened as Luka leaned into her a bit for support. Panicked, she pressed her palm to the pink haired girl's forehead, "How are you feeling right now? Should I call a doctor?"

"No…I should be fine now." After taking a few deep breaths, the pinkette was finally able to answer. Sure enough, colour was returning to her cheeks and her hand grew warm between Miku's palms. As if only just realizing that she had been using the princess for support, Luka quickly separated herself from the tealette, "Sorry, Mi…your highness. I…"

Miku pursed her lips at Luka's usage of her title instead of her name.

"You should just call me Miku, you know. Are you sure you're okay?"

The pinkette looked hesitant at first, but she quickly broke into a smile and nodded.

"Yeah, the headache's gone now. Thanks…Miku."

"That's good to hear," The tealette beamed back at her and began walking again. This time, Luka followed her with much livelier strides. "It's amazing how you know so much though. I wish I could shut Bruno up like that."

"It sounds impossible but…the stuff I answered today…I didn't learn from his lesson. The answers just came to me…like I already learned everything before and just needed a prompt to remember."

Miku gave the pinkette an incredulous look, "You mean…like it was part of the memories you lost?"

"I…I guess? I can't be sure...but I think that might also be the cause for my headache," Luka sighed and shook her head, "Let's talk about something else."

The princess bit back the questions that she had been itching to ask about the pink haired girl's amnesia. She was undeniably curious but causing Luka more pain was the last thing she wanted to do. Instead, she took the lead and took the conversation in lighter direction.

They continued talking for almost the entirety of their walk, about their lives, their opinions, their dreams. It was nice, Miku thought, to simply converse with someone like this.

* * *

Water dripped steadily from the numerous stalactites that covered the cave's ceiling. Beneath them, two women stood. The blonde one, named Lily, paced angrily back and forth while her green haired servant merely watched her.

"I can't believe that Kamui!" Lily slammed her hand against a protrusion on the cave's wall. The entire place shook from the force behind the impact, loosening a fair number of rocks that hit the ground with a terrible noise. Neither of the women looked perturbed by this and the blonde kept seething. "All these years… _all these years_ we've been searching and _he_ finds her first…"

"Anger is pointless, Master," The green haired servant shook her head and spoke in a wispy voice, no louder than the sound of the dripping water around them. " _She_ told us to wait and there's nothing we can do other than keep an eye on…the target."

"Say her name, Gumi!" the blonde woman snarled and turned, grabbing her servant by the shoulders.

"Luka…" Gumi uttered the name with great difficulty, her already frail voice straining on the edge of breaking.

"That's right, my love," Lily's voice grew soft and she lifted a hand to caress the green haired woman's cheek tenderly. "Never forget…never forget her name."

Gumi remained expressionless as the blonde gently cupped her face and pulled her into a deep kiss. Stiffly, the green haired woman returned the gesture but nothing about their actions was passionate or loving. Only a few seconds later, Lily scowled and shoved her servant away roughly.

"It's no good. You're useless," she spat, an icy hardness returning to her blue eyes.

The green haired woman bowed her head replied dully, "I apologize. This body…it doesn't respond as well as it did before. But when will you stop deluding yourself, Master? She's no-"

"Silence!" Lily screamed and her fiery glare burned into Gumi. The servant didn't react so much as to flinch and simply held her master's deathly gaze. The blonde tore her eyes away furiously and began marching forward in clipped footsteps. "The capital is still a while away and I'd rather make it out of this cave sooner than later. Don't slow me down."

"When have I ever done that?" Despite being quite a distance from the blonde, Gumi materialized almost instantly next to Lily and matched her pace with ease.

"Shut it and keep walking," the blonde scoffed and stared ahead, refusing to look at her servant, "I don't know _her_ intentions of making us wait but I'm not letting _Luka_ out of my sight and the moment I am able to…I will strike."

* * *

The bustling crowd in the main street of Aum, the Viridan capital, was lively as ever. People milled about with baskets in their hands, squeezing past each other to try and grab what they needed from the market before stocks ran out.

In the midst of the sea of heads, a loud horn sounded and the mass parted with startling efficiency. Following the horn, a decently sized entourage rode through the streets. All riders wore the conspicuous armor of the royal army and were seated on towering warhorses. Only the one at the very front was different.

Perched on what seemed very much like a tiger, a woman with long pink hair led the knights. Her golden eyes surveyed the crowd with the deadly composure of a seasoned hunter. For, in some ways, that was who she was. High General Iroha, the proud sword and shield of Viridace, she was a predator and her prey was anyone who dared to threaten her kingdom.

Scanning the sides of the newly cleared streets, Iroha hummed with satisfaction. Most of her countrymen were looking at her in awe. Those who knew her cheered her return and others observed her with a timid curiosity. It wasn't until she spotted a hooded figure, standing jarringly apart from the rest of the crowd that she felt a spark of irritation rise in her chest.

Unlike those around him, the man had refused to clear a path for Iroha's vanguard unit. Not only that, he had also continued what he'd been doing before, without so much a glance at the approaching knights. As someone raised to talk with blades and fists, the lack of formal respect wasn't what bothered Iroha. The contents of his speech, however, made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up from contempt.

"For far too long, this country has been tyrannized by women. This isn't the way things are supposed to be!" The man yelled from the top of his lungs even as the armed soldiers approached, "People of Aum…of Viridace, hear my call! Only those who can return to observing the Natural Order will receive salvation from the Great One. So join us, my fellow citizens. The Oracles welcome you! Together, we shall revive the Lost Paradise!"

Iroha's fists clenched together tightly as she stopped in front of the herald. Another rider came forward to stand beside her, concern showing in her eyes from beneath the helm. Her second in command knew just how much she detested these loudmouthed cultists who had begun appearing everywhere in the last decade or so. The pink haired general raised a dismissive hand to reassure her subordinate. They were in public and in the capital itself. She had enough self-control to not let her rage dictate her actions.

At catching the General's attention, the hooded man fell silent. Iroha glared at him and her trusty steed cooperated by letting out throaty growls. The shifty gaze that peered out from under the hood flickered nervously. Their standoff lasted barely a few seconds before the man stumbled off of his makeshift pedestal and disappeared into the crowd.

The irritated General resisted the urge to spit in his direction and signaled her steed forward. She still had to deliver the report on the country's current state to her king. The annual survey of the land was instrumental to deciding policies for the next year so she really shouldn't keep her liege waiting. Nudging her ride into a run, the rest of her knights followed suit and the party sped off in the direction of the castle, leaving dust in its wake.

* * *

 **A/N:**

So I've sort of been slacking but here's the next chapter :'3

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Psykoakuma: lool you'll be seeing a lot more of IA in this story ;) (and that reaction towards kamui XD)

Azhenet: Miku is a brave soul tbh. Classes are no joke :'3


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

They had been enjoying a quiet afternoon break when the shrill cry of horns disturbed the tranquility and caused Miku to jump to her feet. Luka almost dropped the book she had been reading. Her eyes followed the tealette's every action worriedly, wondering if something was wrong.

Their day, for the most part, had been quite uneventful. The etiquette lesson ended up being an eerily identical repeat of History. Elegance and posture had been the focus for the day and while Luka didn't know any of the customary greetings, she achieved a graceful poise with ease. Miku, however, despite having been trained in etiquette since she was young, had trouble holding the correct posture. She'd adjust the way she sat or stood frequently, earning exasperated reprimands from their teacher.

That lesson ended almost two hours ago. After class, the teal haired princess had enthusiastically given her lady in waiting a tour of the castle. When the pair finally grew tired of walking, they wandered into the royal library to rest. Almost immediately, Luka gravitated towards the books and Miku, who had no interest in such things, sat quietly beside the pink haired girl and began to nap. All had been peaceful and admittedly enjoyable until the horn sounded.

"Miku? What's wrong?" The tealette had frozen on the spot, a look of surprise on her face.

"That was her…" Luka stood up as well, confusion clear in her eyes, "Come on, we have to go."

Without any explanation, Miku grabbed the pinkette's hand and left quickly in a half run. The corridors and chambers were a blur as they moved towards the center of the castle. The princess forged forward with light steps, while Luka struggled to keep up in her much heavier dress. They arrived in front of the king's study the moment General Iroha exited that very room. Forgetting her companion for a moment, the teal haired princess charged forward and tackled the armored woman in a bear hug.

"Iroha! You're back!"

"Woah there, apprentice," the general laughed and gave the overzealous princess a few hearty pats on the back, "Glad to see you too." Then her eyes fell on Luka, who was standing awkwardly some ways back, watching the two of them. "Who's this pretty face I see? A friend of yours?"

"Oh!" Miku jumped released her mentor from the embrace and darted back to the pink haired girl's side, "This is Luka, my new lady in waiting. She'll be taking lessons and training with me from now on. And Luka, this is my combat mentor, Iroha. I probably should've introduced you guys first, my bad." The tealette gave her friend and apologetic glance. Luka smiled back to reassure the princess that she wasn't offended.

"Lady Iroha," The pinkette curtsied like she was taught to and kept her head low. In all honesty, the General's fierce appearance intimidated her a little. The woman exuded an aura of strength and her eyes were sharp, like they were able to see through anything. Having Miku beside her was the only thing giving her courage.

"Oh what a polite one, I haven't been called a lady in years," Iroha laughed and broke into a warm smile. Luka felt her fears dissipate almost immediately in friendly atmosphere. "You seem like a fine young lady and dare I say, Miku could learn some manners from you. Call me Iroha, all my students do."

"Yes…thank you Iroha." Luka nodded shyly at the General as they started walking again.

"Oh, but if you're back…" Miku, who had been walking along with a bounce in her step, lit up even more as she came to a realization, "Where's Kitty?"

"Patience," Iroha chuckled and ruffled her pupil's teal hair, "Let's go to Aria first. It's almost time for your sparring session anyways. Lethe should be there already."

After crossing numerous courtyards and taking a winding path up the small hill behind the castle, they finally reached the training grounds, where a white haired girl was wrestling with what seemed like a tiger. Luka's eyes widened at the sight and she started forward out of concern for the girl's life. Before she had even taken the first step, Miku called out from beside her.

"Come here Kitty!" The teal haired princess's voice was filled with joy as the creature fixed its menacing gaze on the approaching humans. With a strangled sounding snarl, the feline ran towards them at full speed, its paws barely hitting the ground. In one leap, the big cat was on top of the princess. Luka gasped a little at the sudden impact but Miku was laughing mirthfully.

"Ahh that tickles, stoooop," the tealette giggled and scratched the beast behind the ears as it began licking her face affectionately, while making a rumbling purring noise. Luka's heartbeat slowed as she realized that the tiger creature was no threat. Although, there was no way she could've guessed that such a ferocious animal would earn the nickname of "Kitty". Cautiously, she inched closer to the big cat, trying to get a closer look. Immediately, its head snapped up and it began pacing towards her, growling for real this time. Instinctively, the pinkette took a step back.

"Lethe!" Iroha's stern voice stopped the beast's advance, "Bad girl. Heel."

Obediently, the big cat returned to the General's side, its gaze still trained on Luka. Miku looked a little startled as well. She leapt to her feet and wiped cat spit off her face as much as she could and gave the pinkette's shoulder a firm squeeze.

"Don't be afraid, Luka. Firecats are trained to not hurt anyone unless their master commands them to. Kitty might be big but she's no less domestic." The teal haired girl frowned a little as she looked at the cat again, "But I have to admit, I've never seen her so riled up."

Luka let out a breath of relief as the big cat stopped glaring at her and began grooming its crimson coat. Weakly she let out a chuckle, "It's no surprise, really. None of the Firecats around here seem to like me."

"There's no need to be upset," At seeing the pink haired girl's melancholy expression, Iroha gave her new student a few light pats on the back, "They really aren't the most amicable creatures. I lived with Lethe for years before she'd show me any affection. Although…" the General flashed the tealette a knowing smile, "Miku here is a special case. All the cats around here love her."

"Can't help it," Miku grinned, "I'm just naturally good with animals. Watch this."

The teal haired girl approached the large cat and knelt down slowly until she came to be eye level with the creature. Staring deep into the amber eyes of the Firecat, Miku cooed and whispered into its ears. She then gave the cat a few pats on the head before standing up again.

"Okay, you can try petting her again." Gently, the tealette grabbed Luka's hand and pulled the reluctant girl forward.

Not entirely certain that she wouldn't be ripped to shreds, the pinkette approached carefully, one step at a time. Lethe's ears flicked but she didn't growl or bare her teeth. This time, she let the girl give her a good head scratch and upon realizing that Luka posed no danger, the cat began licking its paws vainly.

"Wow," Fascinated, the pink haired girl kept petting Lethe. Iroha chuckled and gave Miku a look of mock disapproval.

"Showing off, are we?"

"It's like you can talk to her or something…amazing…" If Miku had been showing off, then Luka was clearly impressed. The tealette blushed a little at the compliment, suddenly feeling more self-conscious than before.

"Y-yeah…something like that."

"Hey guys!" A voice called out to them, making three heads turn. Aria had finally reached the place where the trio was stalling. The white haired girl was panting from walking the considerable distance that Lethe had crossed in no time. At seeing her, the cat leapt from under Luka's hand and began rubbing against her favourite playmate. Aria brightened at seeing the General. "Iroha!"

"Yes, yes, I'm back. Although the one you really want to see isn't me, is it?" Although Iroha's tone was lighthearted, Aria immediately stopped sneaking furtive glances at the space behind the general and looked at the ground guiltily.

"Sorry…of course I want to see you too but…"

"You're taking this too seriously, Aria. Iroha's only teasing." Miku made a face at her sparring partner and friend, "Anyways, you haven't met Luka yet," Miku pulled the pink haired girl forward to stand in front of Aria, "Luka, this is Aria. She patrols the castle grounds and stuff. We'll be training together."

"Wow Miku, excuse you but I do not only 'patrol the grounds'. I'm the Captain of the Royal Guards. Get it right." Playfully, the white haired girl made a face back and then cleared her throat and gave Luka a friendly smile, "It's nice to meet you though, Luka."

"Yeah, likewise," The pink haired girl returned the gesture.

"Are you girls coming or not? You're already late for training."

"Huh?!" The three girls turned to find Iroha quickly riding towards the sparring grounds on Lethe. The general had left discreetly while they were talking.

"Coming!" Miku called out to their instructor and they began running doggedly after General, barely keeping up with the Firecat's pace, even though the creature was barely at a sprint. By the time they arrived at the clearing, the three of them were covered in sweat and breathing hard.

"That should suffice for a warm up," Briskly, Iroha hopped off her steed and inspected the weapons on the rack close by. Picking out two unsharpened steel swords, she handed one to Miku and one to Aria, "Go and do your usual three matches. Don't tire yourselves out though. You'll be facing me later." Then she made her way to the other rack with wooden weapons. Weighing each sword in her hand, the General finally stopped at a training rapier and nodded in satisfaction. Handing the object to Luka, she motioned for the pinkette to follow her and began walking to the area with straw dummies. "Since you haven't had any combat training before, we'll start with the practice swords. Once you learn some moves and develop more arm strength, we can slowly move on to the real deal."

0

For the rest of the afternoon, they trained vigorously, only taking breaks when necessary. Luka struggled with most of the moves she learned and by the end of the session, her arms were sore to the point where she could barely keep her sword in the standard defensive position. However, being an obedient student, she did her best to mirror Iroha's movements, even as her coordination failed her.

In the other clearing, Miku was fighting much better than she did the last time she sparred with Aria. Of the three matches, she had won two. Even in the one she had lost, the princess had the upper hand. If she hadn't gotten distracted and snuck a glance at Luka when she shouldn't have, Aria would've lost all three.

Finally, as sun began sinking into the horizon, Iroha whistled, signaling that it was time to stop. Taking the wooden sword from Luka's tired hands, the General led the pink haired girl to sit on the wooden log that acted as a bench.

"You did well for your first training. Just watch for now…you deserve a break," The pinkette happily obliged and collapsed onto the log, grimacing as she massaged her overexerted muscles. Turning to her other two pupils, Iroha grinned and brandished the practice rapier Luka had been using. "Now which one of you is up first?"

Begrudgingly, Aria moved to stand in front of their instructor, "I lost so it's me…"

As the opponents took their positions in the center of the clearing, Miku happily strolled over to sit beside Luka.

"No offense but you look a little dead." The tealette commented after studying her lady in waiting.

"Ah…yes," the pink haired girl sighed and stared at the ground, "I didn't expect this to be so physically taxing so I may have overworked myself."

"Yeah…I can understand. You should really take it easy though. This stuff takes time," Miku smiled encouragingly, "I watched a little too…you learn pretty quickly."

"Oh…thank you, I'm still very clumsy though…kept dropping the sword." Luka seemed surprised at her liege's approval and blushed. The tealette felt her heart do a little jump at the pinkette's shy reaction to her words. The former servant probably never received any compliments or encouragement. Miku made a mental note to say more positive things to her lady in waiting.

"That's nothing to be ashamed of. The first time I trained here, I swung so hard that my sword went flying into the bushes and broke. You should've seen Iroha's face." The tealette smiled fondly at the memory and began laughing. Luka soon joined in with her own soft giggles. Then they fell into a peaceful silence.

Halfheartedly, Miku watched her mentor exchange blows with her friend. She had seen them fight much too often for the sight to be anything of interest. Instead, she found her mind wandering back to thoughts about the girl sitting beside her. The more they talked, the more she was intrigued, by that quiet personality, by the past that was enshrouded in mystery. Turning her head discreetly so Luka wouldn't notice her staring, Miku observed the pinkette for a little while before deciding to swallow her curiosity and simply enjoy the moment. After all, they had all their lives to get to know each other.

Despite being exhausted, Luka seemed to be watching the sparring match with great interest. From the way Iroha lazily deflected the white haired girl's attacks, it was clear that Aria hardly stood a chance, even with a better weapon. To the pinkette, however, they both seemed amazingly agile and she could barely follow their actions. When Aria finally landed a clean hit that sent their teacher staggering back a few steps, Luka couldn't help but let out a noise of amazement.

"They're so strong…" she murmured quietly to herself.

Beside the pink haired girl, Miku tensed. It was a fairly innocent comment and a well-deserved praise for two of the best fighters in the castle. Yet, inexplicably, Luka's words triggered a bitter feeling within the tealette and made her want to protest that she was just as good. She couldn't understand why all of a sudden, the need to prove herself burned so strongly in her chest. Still, she needed the pinkette to see what she could do, needed to be the strongest in her eyes.

When Aria collapsed onto the ground in defeat and Iroha turned to her, that was all Miku could think about. She had to win. Iroha may be a high target but she had been training every day for the past months while the general had been out surveying the country. Even the best warriors grew rusty without practice. Surely, if she fought hard enough, victory was within reach.

Taking the sword Aria dropped and adjusting her grip a few times with confidence, Miku concentrated on her target. At her determined expression, Iroha smirked and readied her sword as well.

"I see fire in your eyes, pup. That's the sort of passion I like," tauntingly, the general pointed her rapier at the princess, "Now that you've got me excited…forgive me if I beat you up too badly."

Taking a deep breath, Miku chose to ignore her mentor's provocations and dug her heels down into the earth. Without a word, she sprung forward and dealt the first blow. No matter what, Iroha was still a seasoned fighter, superior in strength, stamina and skill. The only chance she had at victory was if she took the general off guard and finished quickly. Once the battle became drawn out, Iroha would be at her peak while Miku's performance would only decline.

The first few well prepared blows pushed her mentor back exactly the way she had planned. Feigning a weaker overhead strike, Miku invited the general to begin a counterattack. Iroha, however, didn't take the bait and merely remained in an impenetrable defensive position. Unable to execute the dodge and slash combination she had planned, the tealette gritted her teeth and began a series of bolder attacks, each swing faster and more powerful than the last. Much to her annoyance, the pink haired general barely seemed affected and continued deflecting the princess's blows with as much ease as she did before.

Miku could feel her arms begin to burn with soreness and her eyes watered with every clash of their weapons. Her body was taking a toll from her reckless strategy. Instead of backing away and giving herself some space as well as time to recharge, the tealette rushed forward with a fresh slew of ruthless assaults.

At the princess's stubbornness, Iroha scowled and shook her head. When the teal haired girl ran at her again, the general mercilessly disarmed her pupil in one clean hit. Unwilling to accept defeat, the tealette opted for the last resort of hand to hand combat and attempted to tackle Iroha.

"Enough!" The general roared and slammed the flat of her sword into the weaponless girl.

The blow resonated all the way up to her skull as Miku flew backwards from the impact. Her back hit the ground first, and then her head. The tealette's vision blurred and became dotted with black as an excruciating pain shot through the back of her head, where she had collided with an ill placed stone.

"Miku!" Two voices shouted simultaneously, making the tealette's head throb more than it had been before. Vaguely, she could make out a pink blur and a white blur towering over her. The princess tried to speak but all she could muster was an agonized groan.

Strangely, the loss of consciousness Miku had expected didn't come. A bright light shone down on her and the pain seemed to be slowly fading. The tealette wondered briefly if she was hallucinating from hitting her head. The notion was soon erased from her mind as her eyes focused again.

Aria's expression was one of pure shock, her gaze trained on a spot above Miku. Following the white haired girl's line of sight, Miku blinked as she stared directly into a ball of light. Although it was fairly bright, it didn't hurt her eyes at all. A comforting warmth emanated from the midst of the shining rays, reminding Miku of the sort of light that came from her lumioscone.

Within seconds, the stinging pain was nothing but a memory. Dazed, the tealette sat up and felt around the back of her head and the place where Iroha struck her; nothing, not even the dull ache of bruising.

"Luka you're still glowing," Aria suddenly blurted out, her eyes round with surprise.

"Oh…" An equally stunned voice sounded beside her and the tealette turned quickly to catch a glimpse of the soft light that enveloped the pink haired girl before it faded. Luka met the tealette's concerned glance and cocked her head slightly, "That was weird."

"Wha…what just happened?" Miku still couldn't believe that her injuries were gone, just like that.

"…I'm not sure…" Aria's gaze flickered between the two of them and she looked as confused as the princess felt, "I think she healed you…somehow."

"That she did," Iroha appeared next to the trio, "Impressive, I must say. Magic is a rare skill to have and healing, although basic, is something only the best clerics of our kingdom can do."

"But that didn't seem too hard..." Luka appeared to be deep in thought as she looked at the ground. "All I know is that I was scared that Miku was badly hurt and the next moment there was some sort of energy flowing through me."

"Yes…" For once, Iroha was also perplexed, "It seems that your magical potential is higher than that of any mage or cleric I've met. If Alteria hadn't met the demise that it did, I'd almost wager that you're from there. But…" The general's brows furrowed and an uncharacteristic melancholy invaded her features, "That is a topic for another day. And as for you, young lady,"

"Ah…" Miku scrambled to her feet and bowed her head sheepishly.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to win. However, I've always taught you to fight with conscience and strategy. The most important thing I've stressed time and time over is to recognize when to admit defeat and minimize damages." Iroha glared at her student, golden eyes brimming with fury, "You did none of that today. Just, threw it all out the window and went in mindlessly like a monkey with a stick."

"Sorry…I-"

"You know I don't care for verbal apologies," the general sternly cut her pupil off, "You'd do well to remember that you won't always have someone like Luka to heal you in an actual battle."

With that, Iroha picked up the swords on the ground and put them back in their proper spots on the rack. Then she leaped onto Lethe and left quickly on her steed.

"Well that was a bit harsh," Aria grimaced in sympathy for her friend as they stared at the general's retreating silhouette, "But then again, Iroha's always like that. Are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah…" the tealette's voice was a little shaky but she shook it off and smiled at the white haired girl, "Don't worry. It looked bad but I'm all healed now. And it _was_ my fault for not stopping when I should have…"

"That's true…I've never seen you want to win so badly," upon seeing the princess unharmed, Aria relaxed a little and chuckled.

"You're really okay?" Luka still looked unconvinced and was examining the tealette with concern.

"R-really…I'm fine!" Miku laughed nervously and jumped back a little at the pinkette's intense scrutiny. She cursed inwardly as she felt her face heat up again. Acting so flustered all the time was not part of the plan. Before either of her friends could continue to grill her on how she felt, Miku grabbed both of them by the arm and began pulling the two towards the trail that led back to the castle. "Anyways, I don't know about you guys but I'm starving. It's getting dark already so we should hurry back and eat."

The princess's suggestion was met with no complaint and the trio started in the direction of food. Miku walked happily between her two companions, her earlier negativity evaporated into the thin air. Perhaps she really hit her head too hard, or maybe it was the results of Luka's healing but the way she fought seemed rather foolish to her now. Getting competitive with Aria to the point of fighting like that was meaningless. She should really learn to control her emotions. Although seeing Luka so worried about her…the tealette smiled a little to herself. A tingly warmth spread across her limbs. They had only known each other for a few days and yet she felt such an attachment to the pinkette. Miku didn't know what to make of the feeling, only that she didn't mind it in the least. For now, the only thing these emotions confirmed was that it was right to have requested Luka as her lady in waiting. The rest, only time will tell.

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 **A/N:**

So I might have to take back what I said about update schedules :'D

There's a lot to get through in this story and writing it is actually taking longer than I thought but hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It's the last of my 'pre-written' stock for this fic :'3

Onto the reviews~

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Kisa Kisa: There's definitely a lot that I'm not revealing just yet *looks at my word doc full of plot points* yep, and saying anything more would probably lead to spoilers~ :'3

Psykoakuma: I originally didn't plan to have iroha in the story but since the kingdom's symbol is a cat, she seemed to fit very well. I also don't see her used much in fics...so as someone who really likes her voice, I wanted to include her ^^ (lol and more IA ahead :3c)

Enaero: Thanks for the review! I'm happy to hear you're enjoying it so far~ I think about half of the main cast/important characters have been introduced. The rest...you'll just have to wait and see :3


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